The number of Bangladeshi students pursuing higher education abroad is steadily increasing. The amount of money being sent overseas through legal or banking channels for higher education is reaching new records every year. In the first ten months (July–April) of the current FY 2025–26 alone, Bangladeshis sent more than $730 million abroad for higher education expenses, equivalent to nearly BDT 90 billion.
Once data for the remaining two months of the fiscal year are added, the total expenditure is likely to approach $1 billion, stakeholders say. This substantial outflow of funds exceeds the total allocation provided by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to the country’s 57 public universities. Around 300,000 students are currently enrolled in public universities, according to UGC data. The total allocation for these institutions in the current fiscal year stood at BDT 108.02 billion, equivalent to approximately $880 million (at an exchange rate of BDT 123 per dollar).
The amount remitted abroad through banking channels for higher education has been increasing steadily and rapidly over the past several fiscal years, according to the Bangladesh Bank data. The expenditure amounted to $218 million in FY 2019–20 and continued to rise in subsequent years. It reached $243.1 million in FY 2020–21, $414.5 million in FY 2021–22, $520.8 million in FY 2022–23, and $533.2 million in FY 2023–24.
The amount increased further to $662.3 million in FY 2024–25. Most recently, during the first ten months of FY 2025–26, the figure climbed to $730.6 million, more than three times the level recorded in FY 2019–20. During the corresponding ten-month period of FY 2024–25, the amount sent abroad for higher education was less than $530 million. Accordingly, overseas higher education expenditures have increased by nearly 38 percent in the current fiscal year.
Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, vice-chancellor of North South University, said one of the principal reasons behind the growing tendency of students to pursue education abroad is the lack of adequate opportunities and facilities within the country’s education system, as well as limited progress by policymakers in expanding them.
He said, “The country’s education policymaking bodies and the individuals concerned are gradually falling behind in creating sufficient opportunities and facilities for students. As a result, the tendency of students to go abroad and consequently the amount of foreign currency spent by both parents and the country on education has been increasing steadily. Unless the government pays immediate attention to this issue and expands the capacity of domestic educational institutions, it won’t be possible to overcome this challenge. But I don’t see any significant initiative from policymakers in this regard. Certain regulations are instead being imposed in the name of quality education that prevent educational institutions from accommodating larger numbers of students, even if they wish to do so. As long as opportunities for higher education remain constrained, young people will continue to seek education abroad. To address this trend, policymakers must understand the aspirations of the youth, give them due importance, and expand institutional capacity. Failure to do so won’t only result in substantial financial losses for Bangladesh but will also indirectly compel talented individuals to leave the country.”
The declining quality of education in Bangladesh is prompting a large number of students to pursue higher education abroad each year, according to stakeholders. Universities in Malaysia have emerged as one of the most preferred destinations for Bangladeshi students seeking higher education. There are currently 11,401 Bangladeshi students studying in Malaysia, according to data from Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS). Enrollment of Bangladeshi students in the country has increased by nearly 45 percent over the past year.
One such student is Sumaiya Jafrin Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi postgraduate student at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Speaking to Bonik Barta, she said, “Malaysian universities are far ahead in terms of academic quality and research opportunities. The cost of education and living here is also relatively low. Even students who come through self-funding have opportunities to secure scholarships and other forms of funding after enrollment. The admission process is also comparatively easy. While IELTS is mandatory in most countries, it’s not a requirement in Malaysia. International students are also allowed to bring their spouses and parents. Degree holders of Malaysian universities often find it easier to gain admission to prestigious universities around the world. Many students who may not be able to move directly from Bangladesh to European countries can study in Malaysia first and then more easily pursue opportunities in those countries. These are some of the reasons why a significant number of students are choosing Malaysia.”
UNESCO published a report titled “Global Flow of Tertiary-Level Students” in 2024. According to the report, 52,799 Bangladeshi students went to 55 countries for higher education in 2023. The corresponding figures were 49,151 students in 2022 and 44,338 students in 2021. Roughly a decade earlier, in 2013, the number of Bangladeshi students who went abroad for higher studies stood at 24,112.
The number of students pursuing education abroad has more than doubled over the ten-year period, according to a data analysis from 2013 to 2023. Education stakeholders believe that the figure has increased even further in recent years. According to them, many students are using higher education as a pathway to migrate abroad, and a large proportion of them do not return to Bangladesh.
The United States remains one of the primary destinations for Bangladeshi students seeking education overseas. Despite the fact that obtaining a U.S. visa has become comparatively more challenging in recent years due to various restrictions, the number of Bangladeshi students studying in the country continued to grow significantly in the most recent academic year.
The number of Bangladeshi students in the United States increased by 17.9 percent in the 2024–25 academic year, reaching 20,156 students, compared with the previous year. In the 2023–24 academic year, the number stood at 17,099, according to the 2025 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.
A comparison of the last six academic years shows that the number of Bangladeshi students in the United States has increased by 128 percent. Six academic years earlier, the number of Bangladeshi students enrolled in U.S. institutions was 8,838.
The number of Bangladeshi students choosing Japan for higher education is also on the rise. In 2017, the number of Bangladeshi students enrolled in Japanese institutions stood at 2,748. By 2024, that figure had increased to 7,597.
Aditya Kumar Sarkar, a postgraduate student at Kyoto University, said that one of the main reasons for choosing Japan for higher studies is the differences in opportunities between the education systems of Bangladesh and Japan.
He said, “Students primarily go abroad to gain access to advanced research facilities, modern technology, internationally recognised education, and globally valued degrees. The limited availability of quality jobs, research opportunities, and career development prospects after higher education in Bangladesh also compels many students to seek better futures overseas. While our education system still relies heavily on rote learning, foreign universities offer practical and application-based education, opportunities to collaborate with industry, advanced laboratory facilities, and an international environment that helps students develop. Scholarships, part-time work opportunities, and the prospect of securing better employment after graduation are among the major factors motivating students to leave the country.”
A similar picture emerges from international university rankings and data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Labour Force Survey. According to the latest rankings published by Times Higher Education (THE) and QS, no Bangladeshi university is included among the world’s top 500 institutions.
In the latest QS World University Rankings, University of Dhaka is the highest-ranked university in Bangladesh, positioned at 585th globally. In the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Jahangirnagar University and University of Dhaka are jointly the highest-ranked public universities in the country, both placed within the 801–1000 bracket.
Approximately 84.07 percent of the country’s total workforce is employed in the informal sector, according to the latest data and analysis from BBS and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The Labour Force Survey 2023 also shows that 58.73 percent of highly educated young people in the country are engaged in informal employment. Among those with higher secondary educational qualifications, the rate of informal employment is 70.71 percent. Due to the lack of adequate formal job creation in line with demand, a large proportion of highly educated young people remain unemployed for extended periods. The highest unemployment rate is among the highly educated, according to an analysis of unemployment based on educational qualification. The unemployment rate currently stands at 13.11 percent among higher educated individuals, 6.59 percent among those with higher secondary education, and less than 3 percent among those with lower educational qualifications.
Professor Dr Mohammad Ismail, professor of the Department of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at the University of Dhaka and former vice-chancellor of the Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU), said, “There are two main reasons behind students going abroad — one is the quality of education, and the other is access to a quality professional life. Our universities haven’t yet been able to ensure international-standard education and research opportunities. Those who genuinely wish to pursue advanced research or study in internationally competitive institutions are consequently compelled to go abroad for higher education. Despite the number of highly educated young people in our country having increased, employment opportunities haven’t expanded accordingly. A large number of educated youths remain unemployed. So many go abroad in search of a secure future. If we want to retain our talented youth in the country, we must establish at least five to six internationally standard higher education institutions. We must also ensure quality employment opportunities and a secure livelihood for educated young people.”
Professor Dr Abdul Hasib Chowdhury, vice-chancellor of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), considers the socio-economic condition of the country to be the primary reason behind students going abroad. He said, “A large number of students are currently going abroad, and for them, the socio-economic condition of the state is a bigger factor than the quality of education. There’s no assurance of quality employment or a decent standard of living after higher education here. So young people see no future in the country and are increasingly inclined to leave by any means. Many are even choosing countries that aren’t necessarily highly advanced in education. In fact, a significant portion of these students become more focused on livelihood and settlement processes rather than education itself.”